Israeli Navy Seizes Gaza-Bound Ship ‘Estelle’
Israeli Navy Seizes Gaza-Bound Ship ‘Estelle’ - Defense
Navy seizes Finnish-flagged ship carrying 30 pro-Palestinian activists after it refused to change course, tows it to Ashdod.
The Navy on Saturday took control of a Swedish ship sailing under a Finnish flag, that carried pro-Palestinian activists towards Gaza, and towed the vessel to Ashdod instead.
Despite earlier claims by activists that they were bringing humanitarian supplies to Gaza, no such items were immediately found on board, the IDF said. But it added that it was still unloading the ship’s cargo.
Mikael Lofgren, a spokesman for the Swedish group Ship to Gaza that organized the voyage, told The Jerusalem Post that the vessel carried 41 pounds of cement, musical instruments, theatrical equipment, wheel chairs, children’s books and 600 soccer balls.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the IDF operation to enforce Israel’s naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, which he said was in keeping with international law.
“Even the people who were on the ship know that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Their entire objective was to create a provocation and blacken Israel’s name. If human rights were really important to these activists, they would sail to Syria,” he said.
“We will continue to take strong and determined action to defend our borders,” Netanyahu said.